Snapshot

Its been a while since I've updated. Been working alot at the clinic and in the fields and now im working on an educational film covering the prevention of various endemic diseases to be shown in the overcrowded waiting rooms of Masaya health centers. Without anything that is especially deep/funny/poetic heres a snapshot from my daily work journal. Look what I've been doing mom and dad!

20-5-10 (Thursday)
Went to La Reforma, one of the roughest Barrios in Masaya, with Chepita. Normal stuff, Door to door looking for kids to vaccinate. I did polio; she, DPT. We are also making appointments for women to come in and get their pap/screening for HPV. All the women are so scared of getting done any gynecological procedure. We have been coming across so many mothers who do not know their own or their children’s birth date. One of the kids we vaccinated was a 5 year old who recently lost his eye in an accident I didn’t really understand. I noticed that many of the kids in this barrio weren't in school, running around with their bare feet and inflated stomachs.

24-5-10 (Monday)
Got firsthand experience of how shitty it is to have to wait to be seen by a doctor in the Nicaraguan public health system.I had a dermatologist appointment at the Masaya hospital at 7. I arrived at the hospital at 645 am and wasn’t seen by the dermatologist until 10. I understand now why people don’t keep appointments. After the 3 hour wait in the dismally lit crowded room lacking ventilation, my 2 minutes consultation with the doctor consisted of her telling me to get a blood test before she could prescribe me medication. A blood test for skin cream is hardly necessary but simply a matter of protocol. Blood tests scare the shit out of me. Even the thought of drawing blood from myself or a patient leaves me feeling uncomfortably queasy. This is a very serious fear I know I will struggle with given the path I have chosen for my future and all. . .
25-5-10 (Tuesday)
In the morning, I made a display for tomorrow’s bi-annual health fair with visual representations of the characterization and prevention of Leptospirosis and Dengue. In the afternoon, I went to the Collectiva Para Mujeres (women’s center) to film and interview a Psychologist about options for women in situations of domestic violence. When I first arrived, she didn’t remember who I was and brought me into a room for a consultation. I like when people confuse me for a local.

26-5-10 (Wednesday)
Feria de Salud!
The Feria de salud is a bi-annual event in which the clinic goes to the heart of the hood, and sets up shop in the street, offering everything from consultations to prescriptions. It was pouring rain, but under the tarps people gathered to see a doctor and receive their free medication in a festive atmosphere of balloons, music, and dancing. Our epidemiologist was the MC and encouraged kids to dance to receive a prize bag containing soap, a toothbrush, and a little game. It was really very festive, at times hard to hear the patients over the blaring meringue. I worked at the pharmacy table in the morning handing out medicines to those who received prescriptions from consultations. I quickly learned what a lot of the meds were for as a couple of the old ladies who had multiple medications and due to their illiteracy needed me to explain for what ailment each med served and how often they needed to take it. A lot of Albendazole (for parasites), Ibuprofen, hypertension pills, amoxycillin. We caught one woman who was going from table to table receiving consultations and prescriptions from as many doctors as she could to load up on her free medications.
In the Afternoon, I worked with Dra. Tellez at one of the consultation tables. In the kids, lots of bronchitis, pneumonia, parasites, and skin issues due to fungi, herpes, and other bacterial infections. In adults- lots of hypertension, gastritis, arthritis. Besides prescribing medication, we explained to each and every patient the importance of certain hygienic practices. With the recent rain, Tis the season of diarrhea and dengue. Wear shoes , wash hands, bathe yourself and child more frequently, use latrines, don’t have stagnant water. Besides our Centro de Salud, two women's organizations and the city division of environmental health were present. I got some great footage of the some young women working with one of the women’s organizations talking about aids prevention including a demonstration on how to put on a condom.

27-5-10 (Thursday)
edit. edit. edit.film. edit.film. edit.